The Legend of Zelda: Thread of Awesome

[Sith_Happens]

This. That section was the stopping point for me a few times.

I tanked through those floors with the Magic Armor. Took most of my rupees each time, but you can dig up multiple wallets'-worth on your way down anyways.

[Triaxx]

I never had an issue with the ice areas. That last fight on the other hand, is probably the only time I've ever used the charged Jump attack. It would stagger them enough to separate one or two out.

Of course it's infinitely easier with the Magic armor.

[Knaight]

I tanked through those floors with the Magic Armor. Took most of my rupees each time, but you can dig up multiple wallets'-worth on your way down anyways.

I mostly just blew everything up with bombs from the top platform, while using the ball and chain on everything it could reach. It was still harder than the Darknut fight.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

I mostly just blew everything up with bombs from the top platform, while using the ball and chain on everything it could reach. It was still harder than the Darknut fight.

Man, do I love the ball and chain. :3

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Man, do I love the ball and chain. :3

Yea, gotta love the ol' Ball n Chain. I mean, she's... er... oh wait, wrong ball n chain :P

It's a quirky weapon, to be sure, but has its uses from time to time.

Actually, that's what I love about TP... very few weapons are ever 'outmoded' and only used in certain areas. In fact, only the Slingshot and maybe the Dominion Rod are the only weapons which are really 'use once and then forget about it'. The Dominion Rod is pretty much a temple key, so the only one that is really outmoded is the Slingshot, which gets replaced by the Bow in the Volcano Temple.

The game might've flowed better without the slingshot, simply not requiring a ranged weapon until you get the boomerang, but the slingshot is a holdover from OoT, and it's a good tutorial for bow aiming in the early game.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

One thing about twighlight princess that confused me was the scene at the lakebed spirit shrine with the multiple dark links. It never served any further purpose. I thought it might have been some sort of foreshadowing for an encounter with dark link, or a betrayal based on corruption, but that never happened. It almost seemed pointless. And incredibly creepy.

Another was that it didn't have enough mini quests in my opinion. The ones that weren't part of the main quest were extreamly easy...it even created a way for you to find EVERY piece heart by paying a fortune teller. But I did enjoy the game a lot.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

One thing about twighlight princess that confused me was the scene at the lakebed spirit shrine with the multiple dark links. It never served any further purpose. I thought it might have been some sort of foreshadowing for an encounter with dark link, or a betrayal based on corruption, but that never happened. It almost seemed pointless. And incredibly creepy.

I think all of the males had Link's face to really drive it home to him what was going on. The 'dark links' were the shadow folk with an excess of magic.

Another was that it didn't have enough mini quests in my opinion. The ones that weren't part of the main quest were extreamly easy...it even created a way for you to find EVERY piece heart by paying a fortune teller. But I did enjoy the game a lot.

I think the length of the main quest more than made up for it, in my opinion. Besides, I was never one for a bunch of mini quests. There were some scenes I wish I could have done over and over though... the hidden city wild west routine, for example, or the break-in at the desert temple. Those were a lot of fun when you had Bow + Hawkeye. Sniping opponents from the shadows, going door-to-door ambushing moblins... I've got a save at the point where the wild west scene in the hidden city is... just so I can do it again whenever I feel like it.

[Knaight]

It's a quirky weapon, to be sure, but has its uses from time to time.

Actually, that's what I love about TP... very few weapons are ever 'outmoded' and only used in certain areas. In fact, only the Slingshot and maybe the Dominion Rod are the only weapons which are really 'use once and then forget about it'. The Dominion Rod is pretty much a temple key, so the only one that is really outmoded is the Slingshot, which gets replaced by the Bow in the Volcano Temple.

I'd agree with this, on all points - that said, it's about the same for Skyward Sword, although the whip was basically useless from the instant you got it. Even the slingshot remained viable through the end, with the scattershot being useful against groups of keese and similar.

Regarding Twilight Princess: I'd consider the dominion rod a horribly underutilized item that could have been so much more. It is also a shame that you can't use the ball and chain from horseback.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I'd agree with this, on all points - that said, it's about the same for Skyward Sword, although the whip was basically useless from the instant you got it. Even the slingshot remained viable through the end, with the scattershot being useful against groups of keese and similar.

Regarding Twilight Princess: I'd consider the dominion rod a horribly underutilized item that could have been so much more. It is also a shame that you can't use the ball and chain from horseback.

If you could get scattershot on the slingshot in TP, it would have remained viable throughout the game as well. That actually sounds like a nifty idea. Another idea would've been upgraded seeds. I'm thinking something like the Deku Nut from OoT, which would temporarily stun targets. Or maybe sprouting seeds to create something you can Clawshot on a target, but it has to be something it could grow out of (i.e. only working on dirt) so similar in nature to WW's wind temple with the Koku's ability to plant seeds to hookshot.

Ahh well, it was still a very nice game, even if the slingshot was outmoded when you got the bow and the Dominion Rod was massively under-utilized.

[Madara]

If you could get scattershot on the slingshot in TP, it would have remained viable throughout the game as well. That actually sounds like a nifty idea. Another idea would've been upgraded seeds. I'm thinking something like the Deku Nut from OoT, which would temporarily stun targets. Or maybe sprouting seeds to create something you can Clawshot on a target, but it has to be something it could grow out of (i.e. only working on dirt) so similar in nature to WW's wind temple with the Koku's ability to plant seeds to hookshot.

Ahh well, it was still a very nice game, even if the slingshot was outmoded when you got the bow and the Dominion Rod was massively under-utilized.

Looks like we have a new topic(Or Old, I don't want to dig through the thread)

Favorite and Least Favorite Items

My Favorite is the Fire Rod from Four Swords. Especially when upgraded. I like to imagine that thing being in the next big 3D game. Its a flamethrower! Screw the Latern!

Least Favorite is probably the slingshot(Except in SS) because it does get outdone by the bow(Especially with Hawkeye) and you never really find a use for it, its kinda a pain. It barely does any damage, and its essentially a handout.

[Triaxx]

I have to defend the honor of TP's slingshot. I was using it on my way through the Cave of ordeals to deal with keese, for two reasons. One being to conserve arrows, and the second being that it fires considerably faster, and is generally more accurate when moving. Plus firing faster means that not only can you fire, kill, repeat, but if you miss a shot, it's okay because you're ready to fire again. The bow has a much longer pull before it's ready to shoot.

Least Favorite Item: Any of the wooden shields. Because the designers are obsessed with throwing fire enemies at you, leaving you with no defenses until you can replace it, or in TP, a major part of your offense, because of the number of moves that start with a shield bash. Plus the enemies who are only open after you block a strike.

Favorite: How can I choose? Goron Mask is definitely a top contender, but so is the Zora Mask, once I figured it out. The Various shots, hook, claw. The boomerangs, from Link's Awakening's Super-rang, to the awesome ability to move stuff with TP's boomerang. Bottle Fairy. Ball and Chain. PEGASUS BOOTS.

There are way to many awesome things to choose from.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

I agree it's hard to pick a favorite. I've always been partial to the mirror shield puzzles. The items in Twilight Princess were excellent, and all mostly always useful. I LOVED the masks in majora's mask. Though they came close in SS, the swiming with the Zora's mask and the change of instruments/travel between races just made me happy. I will forever roll everywhere I can in Goron form, logic be pantsed!

On the sling shot topic, I prefered it when it was representative of young links weapon as it created a natural progression and sense of size ratio. However, having the slingshot first in TP shows a natural progression of Link useing what little he had at the start of the adventure, and for that I appreciate the item.

[Sith_Happens]

Favorite Item:

Toss-up between ball-and-chain and double clawshots. The former is what the megaton hammer wishes it was, and the second because Spider-Link.

Least Favorite Item:

The hookshot in Wind Waker, because they put it the last freaking temple. Let me get this straight: I finally get one of the most iconic and game-changing items in the whole series, and there's only enough game left for me to use it like twice?

Whoever's idea that was,

[ShneekeyTheLost]

You know what would've been badass? WW... getting the hookshot earlier... and being able to shoot the hookshot midair while swinging using the grappling hook. Not quite the 'spider link' that Clawshot-Akimbo does in TP, but getting a lot more badass. Considering the grappling hook and the hookshot use different things to latch onto, that could've made for a very cool dungeon setup.

Least favorite item? Dominion Rod from TP. Seriously... you use it once, it loses power and you have to run through a sidequest to turn it back on, then it is used in another sidequest to get up to the sky temple... and it is never used again. And really, I don't really like how the Dominion Rod works when you DO use it, either. They could've made that mechanic much more enjoyable.

The ball n chain is a lot of fun, I'll admit, but the Gale boomerang is also quite a lot of fun with multi-targeting. Swats down keese with ease.

[Landis963]

You know what would've been badass? WW... getting the hookshot earlier... and being able to shoot the hookshot midair while swinging using the grappling hook. Not quite the 'spider link' that Clawshot-Akimbo does in TP, but getting a lot more badass. Considering the grappling hook and the hookshot use different things to latch onto, that could've made for a very cool dungeon setup.

Ooh, that does sound fun. However, I've never played WW personally (insert copout here about LPs, watching others play, etc., etc...) but wouldn't it be difficult to aim if you're swinging back and forth? I mean, even in TP you're only asked to hit a moving clawshot target a few times, and even then they're mostly Peahats or in the City in the Sky.

Least favorite item? Dominion Rod from TP. Seriously... you use it once, it loses power and you have to run through a sidequest to turn it back on, then it is used in another sidequest to get up to the sky temple... and it is never used again. And really, I don't really like how the Dominion Rod works when you DO use it, either. They could've made that mechanic much more enjoyable.

Agreed totally, except that it gets a token puzzle, IIRC, in Hyrule Castle (As almost every mechanic does, see also: the random Gale Boomerang puzzle, the chandeliers acting as Clawshot medallions, the collapsing floor you use your Puppy Vision on). The Rod is still a poorly thought-out, unwieldy, and vastly underused mechanic.

The ball n chain is a lot of fun, I'll admit, but the Gale boomerang is also quite a lot of fun with multi-targeting. Swats down keese with ease.

I always found the ball-and-chain to be a little impractical. It doesn't help that I hated the Snowpeak mansion with fury enough to melt every single icy floor, wall, ceiling, and enemy in there, so there might be some bias. On that note:

Favorite item: the Clawshot, in both the incarnations I've played. What's that? I can grapple onto any vine-choked/mesh wall or target I see? I can stun enemies, take stuff off them, and/or pull them into sword-swinging range? Yes Please. Spider-Link only made it more fun.

Least favorite item: This one's tough. There's the Dominion Rod, which is annoying, useless, and annoyingly useless. There's the Dust Bellows, which is useless in combat. But I think my choice is the Mogma Mitts. You get it not once, but twice, it's useless in combat, and instead of Spider-Link you get to dig in a hole for a while. Compounding the annoyance is the tedium of the Moldorms, the underground mini-boss they keep throwing at you.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Ooh, that does sound fun. However, I've never played WW personally (insert copout here about LPs, watching others play, etc., etc...) but wouldn't it be difficult to aim if you're swinging back and forth? I mean, even in TP you're only asked to hit a moving clawshot target a few times, and even then they're mostly Peahats or in the City in the Sky.

In the Goron Temple, you are required to shoot a rope with your bow while upside-down and attached to an electromagnet on a swinging arm.

Favorite item: the Clawshot, in both the incarnations I've played. What's that? I can grapple onto any vine-choked/mesh wall or target I see? I can stun enemies, take stuff off them, and/or pull them into sword-swinging range? Yes Please. Spider-Link only made it more fun.

Yea, the Clawshot/Hookshot is pretty boss, I'll admit. Spider-Link is one of my favorite mechanics.

[Sipex]

Favourite Item? Any of the boomerangs for me (at least when I can get one), as it's always been my go-to sub weapon when I'm in a jam since the original LoZ.

However Hookshot is a close second, even when considering it often outmodes the boomerang, I just have a soft spot for the aussie themed weapon I guess.

I can't choose a favourite dungeon, there are far too many greats with nothing quite sitting above the rest.

Favourite Ganon/Ganondorf fight?

Spoiler

Show

Well, if you interpret the end of Skyward Sword the way I did, then the duel with Demise is by far my favourite. While easier than the duel with Ganondorf in TP (once you have everything figured out) it just felt oh-so epic. Plus, lightning sky strikes? Yes please.

[Landis963]

In the Goron Temple, you are required to shoot a rope with your bow while upside-down and attached to an electromagnet on a swinging arm.

True, but the magnet arm is a) moving much slower and b) comes to a complete stop (IIRC) before it starts to move away again. The point is I think Clawshot + Grappling hook, at least in their WW incarnations, would be harder.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

True, but the magnet arm is a) moving much slower and b) comes to a complete stop (IIRC) before it starts to move away again. The point is I think Clawshot + Grappling hook, at least in their WW incarnations, would be harder.

You are also required to shoot moving targets from horseback (or from the canoe) at a couple of points in the game...

[Triaxx]

I have to defend the Ball and Chain a bit. Besides being absurdly fun to use, you know those bombs you worked so hard for? Yeah, the Ball and Chain does all but two things. It doesn't work underwater, and it can't kill Stalfos permanently. And that it's it. Otherwise it completely obsolete's bombs. Plus it one shots Dodongos, one-two combos the bouncing statue guys, if you're good enough you can also drop it on the backs of Helmasaurs from the front, and kill them in a single shot. Tektites? Just hold it spinning and it kills them as it goes around. Did I mention it deflects arrows if you walk forward holding it? It does. Also if it's spinning but only if it happens to be there at the time.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I have to defend the Ball and Chain a bit. Besides being absurdly fun to use, you know those bombs you worked so hard for? Yeah, the Ball and Chain does all but two things. It doesn't work underwater, and it can't kill Stalfos permanently. And that it's it. Otherwise it completely obsolete's bombs. Plus it one shots Dodongos, one-two combos the bouncing statue guys, if you're good enough you can also drop it on the backs of Helmasaurs from the front, and kill them in a single shot. Tektites? Just hold it spinning and it kills them as it goes around. Did I mention it deflects arrows if you walk forward holding it? It does. Also if it's spinning but only if it happens to be there at the time.

Bombs + Arrows can still reach things the ball and chain cannot, so it doesn't obviate bombs. Also faster rate of fire.

[Landis963]

You are also required to shoot moving targets from horseback (or from the canoe) at a couple of points in the game...

Technically you're not required to do the canoe minigame. (I don't think, it's been a while) Your point does stand however. I will leave the debate with one final point though: Shooting things on horseback is only required in a few places (the fight where King Bulblin kidnaps Colin for instance) while Grappling Hook plus Clawshot would by necessity be involved in many different places. At the very least it would be necessary for a few Pieces of Heart.

[Knaight]

Least favorite item: This one's tough. There's the Dominion Rod, which is annoying, useless, and annoyingly useless. There's the Dust Bellows, which is useless in combat. But I think my choice is the Mogma Mitts. You get it not once, but twice, it's useless in combat, and instead of Spider-Link you get to dig in a hole for a while. Compounding the annoyance is the tedium of the Moldorms, the underground mini-boss they keep throwing at you.

The Dust Bellows are far from useless. You can effectively pin a group of enemies with it, blow keese around when you're getting swarmed, spin those obnoxious beam blowers around, and generally be awesome.

I have to defend the Ball and Chain a bit. Besides being absurdly fun to use, you know those bombs you worked so hard for? Yeah, the Ball and Chain does all but two things. It doesn't work underwater, and it can't kill Stalfos permanently. And that it's it. Otherwise it completely obsolete's bombs. Plus it one shots Dodongos, one-two combos the bouncing statue guys, if you're good enough you can also drop it on the backs of Helmasaurs from the front, and kill them in a single shot. Tektites? Just hold it spinning and it kills them as it goes around. Did I mention it deflects arrows if you walk forward holding it? It does. Also if it's spinning but only if it happens to be there at the time.

You left out a few entertaining features. It basically creates a circle of death for incoming Keese, rats, and other small things, you can kill Helmasaurs by pulling it backwards from landing through them, which never gets old, and on top of all that it is effective in duels with Lizalfos and Dinofos, particularly if there is a ledge nearby. It's a bit slow, and it's very much a situational weapon, but when it works it is fantastic.

[Landis963]

The Dust Bellows are far from useless. You can effectively pin a group of enemies with it, blow keese around when you're getting swarmed, spin those obnoxious beam blowers around, and generally be awesome.

Maybe. I never found it useful to stall an enemy rather than just smack him with the sword. And keese are one-shots by the time you get the Dust Bellows anyway.

EDIT: That would be a good trick with the Beamos. I was wondering what those wings on the side of their heads were for.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

I'm stuck in a frustrating part of skyward sword, where I'm collecting the-

Spoiler

Show

3 pieces of the triforcein Nayru's Desert, and that bit of information would seriously help me with the one room in the moving time shift stone cart with the beamoses.

[Knaight]

EDIT: That would be a good trick with the Beamos. I was wondering what those wings on the side of their heads were for.

It is extremely helpful. Shield countering works about as well, but you always lose shield durability doing it, plus that isn't an option if you are doing a no-shield run.

I'm stuck in a frustrating part of skyward sword, where I'm collecting the-

Spoiler

Show

3 pieces of the triforcein Nayru's Desert, and that bit of information would seriously help me with the one room in the moving time shift stone cart with the beamoses.

Indeed. Just pick a wing by the side of their head, aim the dust bellows, and hold it down until they are spinning too much to actually do anything at all. If you're good with directional attacks you can usually finish them off before they are able to recover at all.

[Landis963]

It is extremely helpful. Shield countering works about as well, but you always lose shield durability doing it, plus that isn't an option if you are doing a no-shield run.

I just grabbed the regenning shield ASAP, then cut off the sections quickly as I could. It helps that the Beamos insists on charging up every time a section is cut off, which gives you an opening.

[INoKnowNames]

I'm not sure if that was on this forum, or maybe even this thread....

But I remember seeing someone discuss the idea that Ocarina of Time, if not maybe one of it's ancestors, could be considered -THE- first Sand Box Game.

Discuss.

Also, I agree with everyone about the utter awesomeness of Dual Clawshots. That's just unadulteratedly badass.

And I also agree that the Dominion Rod just... kinda sucked. It's just such a dinky item with no other utility...

Favorite Boss? Wind Waker Ganondorf Sword Duel of Awesomeness. Because that was badass. The only way to have possibly improved that fight would have been to make Zelda playable by a second player.

Think about it. You know you'd eat that up.

[Zevox]

I'm not sure if that was on this forum, or maybe even this thread....

But I remember seeing someone discuss the idea that Ocarina of Time, if not maybe one of it's ancestors, could be considered -THE- first Sand Box Game.

Discuss.

How the heck does that work? Ocarina of Time was a quite linear game. You go through each dungeon and event in a particular order, with little to no ability to deviate from that (I think you can reverse the normal order of the Shadow and Spirit Temples, but that's it). There were random areas with loot scattered around and a handful of genuine side-quests, sure, but nowhere near what I'd associate with sandboxes. Just perfectly normal stuff for an adventure game.

Zevox

[INoKnowNames]

How the heck does that work? Ocarina of Time was a quite linear game. You go through each dungeon and event in a particular order, with little to no ability to deviate from that (I think you can reverse the normal order of the Shadow and Spirit Temples, but that's it). There were random areas with loot scattered around and a handful of genuine side-quests, sure, but nowhere near what I'd associate with sandboxes. Just perfectly normal stuff for an adventure game.

Zevox

Dependin on how far you go into each mission temple, there were multiple ways to go through the game. I remember not actually ever getting into the Fire Temple until trying and failing the Shadow Temple one such run. The only constant, assuming no glitching, is that you will always start the first 3 dungeons in the same order, and then get the Hook Shot. That, and the Final Dungeon will be Ganon's Castle. But there's actually a little more ability to deviate from there, not to mention the side quests, which I've never actually completely finished personally. For it's time, it's a bit more advanced than one might assume.

Plus, screw cars, we get a bitchin' horse!